Experiences of Women with Obstetric Fistula in the Bawku East District of the Upper East Region

Abstract

The experiences of women who developed obstetric fistulae as a result of complication of labour at the Bawku District Hospital were investigated. An explorative descriptive research methodology was employed to conduct in-depth one -on -one interview with the ten participants between the ages of 20 and 70 years, recruited by purposive sampling. The interv iews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim, after which systematic content analysis was done to identify the themes and their categories. The results showed that women with obstetric fistulae experienced negative physical, social and psychological problems. Physical problems identified included genital and perineal sores, urine incontinence and infections. Social experiences of participants included social isolation, loss of job and friends as well as poverty, spousal rejection and divorce. Psychological experiences of participants ranged from loss of self-esteem, stigmatization and sense of hopelessness and unworthiness. Based on the above findings, appropriate recommendations were made to guide future researchers of obstetric fistula, obstetric health practitioners, policy makers and nurse administrators.